Nicolas Jaeger

The Path

At Alfred Gratien, continuity is part of the job. Since 2007, Nicolas Jaeger has held the Cellar Master post, carrying a family-linked place within a house where method matters as much as result. His work reflects a long-standing house identity: preserve character, respect the framework, and keep the cellar aligned with the vintage rather than forcing it.

The Work Today

The work starts with selection. At the Épernay house, Nicolas Jaeger has emphasized rigorous grape sorting from Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites, placing fruit quality at the base of the wines. From there, exclusive vinification in oak barrels shapes the cellar’s rhythm and the texture of the finished wines. Within that structure, Traditional-method Champagne is handled as a precise, patient trade: wood vinification, careful judgment, and small-batch blending guided by terroir. The language is plain, and so is the standard. When Nicolas Jaeger says, “I try to do my best,” it reads as cellar discipline rather than sentiment: repetition, vigilance, and incremental decisions over time. The point is practical — adaptation in service of the same house style, not a replacement for it.

Signature

Nicolas's signature wines include Cuvée Paradis Brut, Cuvée Paradis Rosé, and Grand Assemblage 2016. Together, they sit inside the same cellar logic that defines his work at Alfred Gratien: selection, structure, and balance, with oak-led, terroir-conscious blending carrying the house character through each cuvée.

In Their Words “I try to do my best.”

Recognition

Nicolas Jaeger has received Guide Hachette des Vins, Winemaker of the Year (2018).